India Weather Today: IMD Issues Rain Alert For 18 States As Northern Hills Face Red Alert

India is witnessing a sharply divided weather pattern today with the India Meteorological Department forecasting a fresh spell of widespread rainfall across northern and eastern states even as central and southern parts of the country continue to battle a prolonged dry and hot spell. The weather agency has issued rain, thunderstorm and strong wind alerts for 18 states, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of northern and eastern India over the coming days. A red alert remains in force for six districts of Himachal Pradesh and for large parts of Uttarakhand, where continuous rain has already triggered landslides, flash floods and road blockages in multiple locations, prompting authorities to keep a close watch on vulnerable hill stretches.

According to the IMD, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in West Bengal and Bihar over the next two to three days, while eastern and western Uttar Pradesh are expected to witness rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. Dry winds moving in from Pakistan have spread across the Arabian Sea, central India and parts of southern India, temporarily pushing monsoon clouds away from the northern plains, including Delhi NCR, and towards the Himalayan region. This shift has reduced rainfall over several plain areas while significantly increasing precipitation across the hill states. The Monsoon trough , whose western end is expected to remain near its normal position, is likely to keep rainfall activity subdued over the plains of northwest India, westcentral India and south Peninsular India over the next six to seven days, the weather department said in its press release dated July 14.

In Rajasthan , districts including Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Churu are expected to receive light rainfall today, with dust storms and strong winds also likely over the western parts of the state. Delhi is expected to record a maximum temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius and a minimum of nearly 27 degrees Celsius, with no significant change forecast over the next seven days, though strong surface winds are likely during the daytime.

The broader monthly outlook adds to concerns, with the IMD projecting nationwide rainfall for July 2026 to remain below 94 percent of the Long Period Average, alongside above normal maximum and minimum temperatures across most regions. A weak El Nino is expected to persist through the season, while the Indian Ocean Dipole remains neutral. The Southwest Monsoon has now covered the entire country as of July 9, a day later than its normal date, and a cyclonic circulation linked low pressure area is being tracked over the northwest Bay of Bengal, likely to influence rainfall over east and northeast India during the coming week.